by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. â?? This is perhaps the most chirping two teams with a combined record of 6-7 have ever done.

Nonetheless, the chatter between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins continued Thursday, with Dolphins center Mike Pouncey firing back at Jets linebacker Aaron Maybin, who was quoted in a story on ESPNNewYork.com as saying the Jets will be trying to knock Reggie Bush out of Sunday's game legally after doing just that last month in the teams' first meeting.

"I don't even want to talk about him. He's a joke," Pouncey told reporters in Miami, adding: "I have to be on punt block to say something to him. â?¦ He's not even going to play enough plays to touch Reggie."

Maybin, who hasn't started a game this season, claimed he didn't intend to send any trash talk Bush's way, saying he was merely talking about eliminating Bush as a factor in the running game and that he "said a whole lot of things that didn't make it into the article." Maybin stopped short of saying he was misquoted, though he indicated his quotes were taken out of context.

"Trash talk, it's all for the newspapers," he said. "I didn't have any of that for you guys yesterday, I don't have any today."

Regardless of Maybin's intentions, his quote pushed forward this spat that began when Jets coach Rex Ryan said his defense needed to put a little "hot sauce" on Bush a few days before the Jets knocked Bush out of the Week 3 game with a knee injury that continues to nag him. ("Hot sauce" as in a good, stinging hit.)

Bush later said the Jets got what they had coming when they lost cornerback Darrelle Revis to a torn ACL in the same game. Ryan insinuated this week he wanted an apology from Bush, though he later claimed that's not what he was trying to say.

"If he had to (do it over again), he would take back his comments about Revis being hurt," Jets linebacker Bart Scott said of Bush. "You don't mind somebody getting knocked out or beat up, but you never want to see somebody get injured, especially a guy like Revis, who goes about his business workmanlike, who never disrespects his opponent.

"If he could do it, and he runs into Revis, he'll apologize for his comments."

Maybe not. Said Bush: "The great thing about divisional opponents is you get to play them twice."

Scott and Bush have a history. In fact, Scott was the first one to use the "hot sauce" comment in reference to Bush after rolling over on his ankle while tackling him in 2006. Back then, Bush was a member of the New Orleans Saints and Scott was on the Baltimore Ravens. Scott claimed Bush tried to take a cheap shot at him earlier in the game so he "put a little hot sauce on that ankle."

"He supposedly had an ankle (injury) and he made a decision (last time the Jets and Dolphins played) it wasn't good for his career or his stats to continue playing," Scott said Thursday. "We were wearing him out."

Scott wasn't bashing Bush. In fact, he showed a little respect for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft, who was off to a solid start through 2Â½ games before Jets defensive lineman Sione Pouha rolled onto his knee. Bush had 302 rushing yards before the injury. He has only 132 yards since

"I think he's a much better back than when we faced him in '06," Scott said. "I think he's matured, I think he's accepted responsibility and he's willing to go for the tough yards, whereas early in his career he just wanted to bounce outside and didn't want to deal with the physicality of football and the position. But I think he's playing well.

"Of course, whenever you have any kind of injury, it's going to limit the way you play and what you're able to do."

Scott would know. He's dealing with turf toe right now, and Ryan said Thursday this could be the first time since the start of the 2005 season Scott misses a game. He's played in 119 straight regular-season games, which is impressive but nowhere near the active leader London Fletcher. The Washington Redskins linebacker has played in 231 consecutive regular-season games, though coincidentally has a hamstring issue that makes him iffy for Sunday as well.

"Pain is really not an issue with me. I can deal with it," Scott said. "With this type of injury, sometimes it affects your ability to stop and change direction."

Scott, who has been on the injury report since getting hurt in the first game against the Dolphins, is wearing a cleat 1Â½ sizes bigger than his normal shoe to create room for his swollen foot. He showed reporters how the top of the shoe has been removed and replaced with a carbon-fiber top to protect his injury.

"People have done it before," Scott said of playing through the injury. "It's one of those things. In my family, we're not told to complain. We just do what we have to do."